PUBG: Battlegrounds
News, coverage and analysis tracking PUBG: Battlegrounds across the outlets.
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Steam Week in Review: AI disclosures enter the discourse again, as Epic CEO calls them 'just as partisan as…
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has strongly criticized Valve's mandatory AI disclosure policy for Steam, calling it politically motivated and harmful to developers. He argues that Valve is creating an anti-AI environment and that this stance benefits Epic Games. Valve, however, states the policy is to understand the evolving landscape and risks associated with AI in game development.
The MOP Up: Jagex prepares to migrate all of its legacy RuneScape accounts
Jagex is preparing to migrate all legacy RuneScape accounts to Jagex Accounts on November 17th, 2026, and will also release a MacOS Silicon launcher. The article also rounds up other recent MMO news, including updates for Elder Scrolls Online, Ultima Online, Trove, Helldivers II, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Ace Combat 8, World of Warcraft, PUBG Battlegrounds, and The Finals.
Steam Hits New Milestone of Over 43 Million Concurrent Users
Steam, the PC-exclusive digital distribution platform, has set a new record with over 43.5 million concurrent users. This milestone surpasses its previous record set earlier this year. The platform has seen consistent growth, particularly since the COVID-19 lockdowns, with Valve's hardware efforts like the Steam Deck potentially contributing to its sustained user base.
Evening Reading - October 2, 2026
This Friday reading covers a variety of gaming news including updates on The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Fortnite, Minecraft, and Monster Hunter Wilds. It also touches on the cancellation of PUBG's Black Budget, Deadlock's Rat King, and Team Fortress 2's Scream Fortress event. Additionally, there are mentions of game deals, a review of Star Wars: Galactic Racer, and updates for World of Warcraft and Marvel Snap.
PUBG extraction shooter Black Budget canned less than a year from reveal, after Krafton decide it won't "deliver an experience players could enjoy over the long term"
Krafton has cancelled the development of PUBG: Black Budget, an extraction shooter spin-off, less than a year after its reveal. The company cited a lack of confidence that the game's current direction would provide a long-term enjoyable experience for players. PUBG Studios stated that lessons learned will be applied to future projects.
Krafton shuts down PUBG spin-off Black Budget nine months after closed alpha test
Krafton has ceased development on its PUBG spin-off, Black Budget, just nine months after its closed alpha test. The company cited that the game's current direction would not allow for a long-term enjoyable player experience. This marks the second PUBG spin-off cancellation this year, following Blindspot in March.
PUBG: Black Budget Cancelled, Krafton Pulls The Plug Over Engagement Concerns
Krafton has cancelled the development of PUBG: Black Budget, an extraction spin-off of PUBG: Battlegrounds, citing concerns about long-term player engagement. The studio is reportedly shifting focus to other projects, including the Subnautica franchise, while acknowledging the competitive landscape of live-service games.
Aion 2's imminent worldwide release could be huge as early access founders' packs outsell major games, and player numbers soar
Aion 2 is set for a worldwide release soon, following its launch in Korea and Taiwan a year ago. The game has achieved significant success on Steam, topping the Top Sellers list with its founders' packs outselling major recent releases by revenue. Player numbers are also high, with the game ranking ninth on the Most Played chart, and it is expected to climb further upon its free-to-play open launch.
Minecraft has sold almost twice as much as GTA 5 but can it keep ahead of GTA 6?
Minecraft has surpassed 425 million copies sold, significantly extending its lead as the best-selling game of all time over Grand Theft Auto 5's 230 million. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma believes no game will catch Minecraft, though Grand Theft Auto 6 is anticipated to be a massive launch. The article also mentions other top-selling games and upcoming releases.
PC gaming has more than doubled in size over the last 4 years in Japan, report finds, with global Steam hits like Counter-Strike 2 and PUBG leading the charge
PC gaming revenue in Japan has more than doubled in the last four years, reaching 300 billion yen by 2025, a significant increase from 132.1 billion yen in 2021. Global hits like Counter-Strike 2 and PUBG: Battlegrounds are leading this growth, with free-to-play titles being particularly popular. While consoles from Sony and Nintendo traditionally dominate, the PC market is experiencing a substantial expansion.
Apex Legends vs Street Fighter Collaboration Details
Apex Legends is launching a "Vs Street Fighter" collaboration event on September 22, 2026, featuring unlockable skins for characters like Ryu, Chun-Li, Akuma, and Cammy. The event will also introduce themed weapon skins, new emotes, and a revamped Olympus map with a "Fighter Form" mechanic that grants temporary enhanced abilities. This crossover aims to keep Apex Legends competitive in the battle royale market.
PUBG: Dednet director says the game is all about 'spreading the gospel of PUBG to an audience that hasn't…
Krafton's upcoming shooter, PUBG: Dednet, aims to introduce the PUBG franchise to a new audience with roguelike elements and faster-paced gameplay. Creative director Dave Curd described the game as an attempt to spread the 'gospel of PUBG' through desperate survival and dark humor, with a focus on player-driven stories and unique abilities gained between matches.
Nvidia tech behind PUBG's genAI team mates will let folks chat to creature-collecting RPG Aniimo's not-Pokemon next year
Nvidia's ACE generative AI technology, previously used for AI teammates in PUBG: Battlegrounds, will be integrated into the creature-collecting RPG Aniimo in early 2027. Developed by Pawprint Studio, Aniimo will allow players to converse with their in-game creatures, teaching them skills and discovering their personalities. Nvidia assures developers have control over AI responses to prevent manipulation, with Aniimo's AI interactions limited to specific home base activities.
Steam Week in Review: A touch of AI is all it takes to trigger backlash, as a promising new indie falls afoul of slop…
Vapor World: Over The Mind, a Soulslike Metroidvania, faced significant backlash on Steam due to its use of generative AI in cutscenes, leading to a surge of negative reviews. Developer Alive Inc has since replaced the AI-generated content, with director Young Kim acknowledging the hasty judgment and promising to improve. The incident highlights audience intolerance for AI shortcuts in game development, even as South Korea shows high AI optimism.
The MOP Up: Elder Scrolls Online’s Whitestrake’s Mayhem PvP event rages
The Whitestrake's Mayhem in-game event has returned to Elder Scrolls Online, offering bonus rewards for player-versus-player activities until August 12th. The article also rounds up other recent MMO news, including Palworld's player count, SMITE 2's upcoming god releases, and cross-promotions between Helldivers 2 and Warhammer 40,000.
Roadmaps and Plans
Rainbow Six Siege is implementing new anti-cheat measures and balancing updates. Meanwhile, PUBG: Battlegrounds is introducing a new meta rotation to change its gunplay.
Danger Zone
PUBG: Battlegrounds has issued a notice regarding weekly bans for the period of July 27th to August 2nd. This notice pertains to actions taken against players for violating game rules, likely related to cheating.
Steam Week in Review: Once positioned as mainstream-friendly PC gaming solutions, can Valve's hardware survive the…
Valve's Steam Deck and Steam Machine hardware are facing challenges due to rising component costs, exacerbated by AI data center demand, leading to significant price increases. Despite these issues and a muted reception for the Steam Machine, the Steam Deck continues to appear on Steam's top sellers list, indicating ongoing consumer interest.
Danger Zone
PUBG: Battlegrounds has issued a notice regarding the number of bans issued between July 20th and July 26th. The article details the ongoing efforts to combat cheating within the game.
You might not hear that much about it anymore, but the PUBG series grew its revenue by 25% in the first half of 2026
Krafton announced that the PUBG intellectual property collectively generated 25% more revenue in the first half of 2026 compared to the previous year. This growth was driven by PUBG: Battlegrounds, PUBG Mobile, and Battlegrounds Mobile India, with recent collaborations and new modes cited as key factors. The company also noted strong early access performance for Subnautica 2, leading to its development as a franchise IP.
